USA-ENG: Most viewed first round

The U.S. Men’s National Team’s
highly anticipated opening match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup against England on
ABC was the most viewed World Cup first round match and fifth most-viewed World
Cup match ever. The match, which ended in a 1-1 draw, was the most watched U.S.
MNT match since 1994.

The two-hour match window averaged a 7.3 household rating
(8,391,000 households and 12,956,000 viewers) based on fast nationals. The
three-hour telecast, which included one hour of pre-match coverage, delivered a
6.1 household rating (7,034,000 households, and 10,763,000 viewers). In
addition, 3.8 million watched the Spanish-language broadcast on Univision.

The overall three-hour telecast ranks fifth all-time behind
three World Cup finals, including the 1999 Women’s World Cup Final, and the
USA’s Round of 16 match against Brazil in the 1994 FIFA World Cup, all of which
were televised on ABC.